Well, these are the intimations, then we're going to begin worship now singing in Psalm 105,
Psalm 105 on page 374, singing to June Peterson, and we'll sing verses 1 to 7.
Give thanks to God, call on his name, to men his deeds make known.
Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.
See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.
We'll stand to sing these verses 1 to 7. Give thanks to God.
Sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.
See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.
The Lord almighty and his strength, with steadfast hearts sing ye.
His blessed and his gracious face, sing ye continually.
Think on the works that ye hath done, which admiration breed.
His wonders and the judgments all, which from his mouth proceed.
O ye that dad of Abram's race, his servant will appear, and ye that Jacob's children are,
whom he chose for his own.
Because he and he only is the mighty Lord our God,
And his most righteous judgments are, in all the earth abroad.
We're now going to call upon the Lord in prayer.
Let's unite our hearts in prayer.
Almighty and gracious God,
we give thanks that we are gathered here today once again in your name.
We give thanks for these words that you have given us to sing in your praise,
words that remind us, Lord, that it is our great privilege to worship you,
a privilege to know you as our God, and to sing your praises,
to call upon your name in prayer, and to contemplate the great works that you have done.
Lord our God, we come before you not in our own merit,
or any worth that we have in ourselves or in our works.
We come in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son.
We come, O Lord, confident that he is the ground on which we are able to approach you,
and find approval and acceptance with you.
And as we have been singing, help us, we pray,
to rejoice in your presence, in his name and for his sake.
We thank you again, Lord, today for your many acts of kindness toward us.
For you continue to show us your favor,
despite the fact that we need to confess frequently our shortcomings,
our own failures, our sins against you,
and our lapses, and the many ways in which, O Lord, we fail
to match up to the standard that you set before us.
O Lord, we are conscious that were we to depend on ourselves and our own ability,
we could never find a place of acceptance in your sight.
We thank you today that we depend upon the finished, perfect work of the Savior,
that we come in his name, the Lord Jesus Christ,
and on the promise that you will receive us and accept us in him.
We thank you for the way in which that favor and acceptance lasts
and will last throughout eternity for your people.
For all who have come to trust in him,
you promise that the righteousness that you impute to them will be sufficient
and will never be changed and cannot in any way be taken from them.
We thank you today for that righteousness.
Righteousness, as the Apostle Paul said, that is not of ourselves,
but that righteousness that is through faith in Christ.
The righteousness of Jesus himself.
And we thank you, Lord, today that we have once again the opportunity to come to contemplate
and to give thanks for all that you have done in regard to this.
Bless us, Lord, we pray today as a congregation.
And this week we have entered, Lord, we anticipate by your will,
taking part in many other activities and services throughout the week.
We set these before you and ask, Lord, that you would bless us and bless them to us.
We pray that your word might continue to flourish amongst us,
that the gospel will take effect, O Lord, increasingly in our lives,
that we may come more and more to show that fruit in our lives,
that spiritual fruit that is the product of your Spirit,
and that we may therefore be as lights in the world and as the salt of the earth.
holding forth the word of life as your disciples.
Forgive us, Lord, we pray for the many opportunities we let pass by us
in the way of your serving.
We thank you, Lord, that we have access to the way of serving you in this world in different ways.
And we pray that you would enable us by your Holy Spirit to be effective in this world.
Lord, we pray for our community around us,
for all the communities in which we find your people today,
throughout our land and indeed all the way through the world.
O Lord, our God, we recognize that there is so much against the gospel,
so much thinking, so much in the way of actions of people like ourselves,
and yet who are themselves ranged against you,
and who do not care and indeed are in opposition to the values and the principles of the gospel itself.
Remember all those today, Lord, who stand in enmity against the gospel and against your people.
Whatever structure of society they belong to,
whatever groups they may have formed for themselves,
Lord, you have given us a desire and a heart to pray for those who don't know you,
for those who oppose you,
for those who openly stand and defiantly against your will,
against your word, against your church.
We pray for your church as well, O Lord, in our nation,
and we pray that you would grant your blessing to the gospel,
even though we know that we hear, Lord, and see defections from your truth,
and that we see some, O Lord, have set up for themselves what is effectively an alternative gospel.
Gracious Lord, we ask that you would restore where that has been the case,
granted you would keep before us, Lord, how futile it is to import the culture of the age into the ways of Christ.
And Lord, we ask that you would make us conscious that we need to adhere closely and lovingly
to your commands, to your standard, to your promises and precepts
that are always going to be sufficient in every way for human beings throughout the age.
We ask your blessing today for our young folk, our children,
and as they receive instruction, Lord, in your word,
bless them today, we pray, and make us thankful for those who teach them,
who give of their time to study the lessons and to impart them to the children.
We ask that you'd bless them, Lord, from the youngest through to the oldest age group amongst them.
And we ask that the efforts that are made, Lord, in terms of meetings for discipleship,
meetings for parents and children in regards to the work in the congregation in these days and weeks to come.
We ask, Lord, that you would bless us and bless parents as they would take part in these discussions.
Help them, Lord, we pray, to contribute meaningfully to it.
And help us to listen to the ways in which our parents of young children seek to bring their concerns
and the other issues that they face in their lives to be discussed and to be part of our thinking as we look ahead.
Lord, bless, we pray, those today of our number who are ill.
We pray that you'd grant blessing especially to those who are seriously ill.
Bless those who have COVID.
Lord, we pray that it may not progress in a way that would become really ill,
that they would become really ill.
We pray that you would grant your hand upon them, Lord, to prevent this.
We pray that you'd bless all others, Lord, who have different illnesses.
We pray for those who are anticipating surgery and waiting for word,
those recovering and those receiving other treatments.
We pray for those who have issues of mental health, illness.
Lord, we ask that you would be pleased to speak to them today
and give to them a sense of your presence and of your provision for them too.
And help us, we pray, to bear in mind all those who suffer in different ways
and give us to realize, Lord, more and more how you have made provision for us in the gospel
and how especially in our own community we have so much also that is valuable in terms of meeting our needs.
Bless us then now, we pray.
Continue to go before us as we worship you here.
And throughout this day, help us to maintain it as a day of rest,
as a day that is holy to the Lord.
Lord, we ask it all in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Let's sing again to God's praise.
We're singing now from Psalm 130, 130.
This time in Sing Psalms version.
That's on page 173.
If you're using the Blue Psalm book, Psalm 130,
page 173, the tune is Martyrdom.
Lord, from the depths I call to you, Lord, hear me from on high
and give attention to my voice when I for mercy cry.
Lord, in your presence, who can stand if you our sins record?
But yet forgiveness is with you that we may fear you, Lord.
The whole of the psalm, Lord, from the depths I call to you.
Lord, from the depths I call to you.
Lord, hear me from on high
and give attention to my voice
when I for mercy cry.
Lord, in your presence, who can stand if you our sins record?
But yet forgiveness is with you that we may fear you, Lord.
I wait, my soul, wait for the Lord.
My hope is in His word.
More than the watchman waits for God,
my soul waits for the Lord.
O Israel, dear God,
O mercy is with Him,
and full redemption from their sins.
His people He'll redeem.
Let's now turn to read from God's word in the scriptures of the Old Testament,
and it's in 2 Kings chapter 5.
The second book of Kings, chapter 5, we're going to read verses 1 to 14.
It's page 372 in the pulpit Bible.
It should be around that same point for yourselves.
2 Kings chapter 5 and reading 1 to 14.
Naaman,
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and in high favor,
because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria.
He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
Now the Syrians, on one of the raids, had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel,
and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife.
She said to her mistress,
Would that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria.
He would cure him of his leprosy.
So Naaman went in and told his Lord.
Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.
And the king of Syria said,
Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver,
six thousand shekels of gold,
and ten changes of clothes.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read,
When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant,
that you may cure him of his leprosy.
And when the king of Israel read the letter,
he tore his clothes and said,
Am I God to kill and to make alive,
that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?
Only consider and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.
But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes,
he sent to the king, saying,
Why have you torn your clothes?
Let him come now to me,
that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots,
and stood at the door of Elisha's house.
And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying,
Go and wash in the Jordan seven times,
and your flesh shall be restored,
and you shall be clean.
But Naaman was angry,
and went away, saying,
Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me,
and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God,
and wave his hand over the place,
and cure the leper.
Are not Abana and Farpar,
rivers of Damascus,
better than all the waters of Israel,
could I not wash in them and be clean?
So he turned and went away in a rage.
But a servant came near and said to him,
My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you.
Will you not do it?
Has he actually said to you,
Wash and be clean?
So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan,
according to the word of the man of God.
And his flesh was restored,
like the flesh of a little child,
and he was clean.
Amen.
May the Lord again bless to us,
reading his word to his own praise.
Before we turn to look at this passage,
we'll sing once again to his praise,
this time Psalm 25.
Psalm number 25.
Again, it's in the Sing Psalms version,
page 29.
We're going to sing verses 4 to 9.
The tune this time is rocking him.
O Lord, reveal to me your ways,
and all your paths help me to know.
Direct and guide me in your truth.
Instruct me in the way to go.
You are my Savior and my God.
All day I hope in you alone.
Remember, Lord, your love and grace,
which from past ages you have shown.
Do not recall my sins of youth
or my rebellious, evil ways.
Remember me in your great love,
for you, O Lord, are good always.
Because the Lord is just and good,
he shows his paths to all who stray.
He guides the meek in what is right
and teaches them his holy way.
We'll sing these verses.
O Lord, reveal to me your ways.
O Lord, reveal to me your ways,
and all your paths help me to know.
O Lord, reveal to me your ways,
and all your paths help me to know.
Direct and guide me in your truth,
instruct me in the way to go.
You are my Savior and my God.
All day I hope in you alone.
Remember, Lord, your love and grace,
which from past ages you have shown.
Do not recall my sins of youth
or my rebellious evil ways.
Remember me in your great love,
for you, O Lord, are good always.
Because the Lord is just and good,
He shows his path to all who stray.
He guides the meek and watershright
and teaches them his holy way.
Now let's turn to 2 Kings 5,
the passage we read a minute ago,
verses 1 to 14.
And we'll consider some of the teaching
in this passage this morning.
You might say this is an account of the field marshal,
the slave girl, and the prophet.
This is a story of Naaman,
the account of his being healed of his leprosy.
He was the head of the army of the Syrians.
And there's also this slave girl
that had been taken captive by the Syrians
on one of their raids.
And of course there is the prophet Elisha,
the man of God.
People's lives sometimes are often bound
by the circumstances,
the experiences that they share in life.
Many lasting relationships began
with people being unexpectedly thrown together
into certain situations and circumstances
that perhaps they hadn't anticipated.
And yet from that developed
some lifelong relationships or friendships.
And you have,
whether that was the case here or not,
but you have the lives of certain people
thrown together in this incident here
in chapter 5.
In fact, there are six individuals,
six people altogether in the passage.
If you take in the rest of the chapter as well,
there are two kings,
the king of Syria and the king of Israel.
There's the prophet Elisha.
There's this little slave girl.
There's Naaman.
And then later in the passage,
there's Elisha's servant Gehazi.
And they're all together in this incident
that took place,
especially circled,
centered on Naaman
and his healing of leprosy.
So we're going to look at these in turn
and look at how in the account that we have here,
as we follow it through,
these three individuals,
we're going to focus on these three,
the Naaman himself,
the servant girl,
and also Elisha, the godly prophet.
You have the great man,
the girl servant,
and the godly prophet.
And from that,
some of the teaching in the passage
comes across to us
as we focus on the three individuals themselves
and how they interrelate
throughout the way the passage develops.
So look at,
first of all,
the passage begins with
the field marshal,
the great man,
Naaman,
commander of the army
of the king of Syria,
was a great man
with his master
and in high favor
because by him
the Lord had given victory
to Syria.
He was a mighty man of valor.
Now that's a very deliberate description.
And you might ask,
well,
why does it go into
all of that detail?
One of the reasons is
that the following detail
is such a contrast,
you might think,
to what's being said there already.
So this man,
Naaman,
he was in charge
of the whole army
of the king of Syria.
If you go by the ranks
in the British army,
that would make him
field marshal,
the very top
of the strata
of command
in the Syrian army.
So he was commander
of the army,
of the whole army.
Not only that,
but he was very close
to the king.
The king obviously
valued his leadership.
He depended on him
so much
as the leader
in charge of the army.
He was also a brave man.
It's spoken there
in very clear terms.
He was a mighty man
of valor.
The Lord by him
had given victory
to Syria.
All of these details
are followed by this,
but he was a leper.
For all his greatness,
for all his stature,
for all his bravery,
for all his ability,
for all his courage,
he was a leper.
Now,
in the Old Testament,
sometimes the word
for leper
can be indicative
of other similar diseases,
but it seems here
that it was indeed leprosy,
Hansen's disease,
as it's called nowadays,
that this was in fact
what this man suffered from.
He had this serious condition.
Leprosy was and is,
although it's rarer now
than it was then.
It's a disease
that affects the skin,
but it's actually a disease,
first and foremost,
of the nervous system.
It attacks the nervous system,
and then it can develop
in such a way
that leads to muscle wastage
and deformity,
as you know.
And as it attacks
the nervous system
and the nerve endings,
especially,
you'll find that
those who have had leprosy
and have leprosy,
and as it has developed,
will lose the sense
of feeling
in their fingers,
for example.
That's why somebody
with leprosy
can pick up something
as red hot
and not feel pain.
And, you know,
that's just by the way,
but we often complain
about having pains,
and pain is certainly
very, very difficult
to live with,
but actually,
in one sense,
pain is beneficial
because it tells you
there's something wrong,
and it tells you
it's something
you maybe need to deal with,
maybe even urgently.
Sometimes we should
just stop and think
that pain is something
we should actually
thank God for,
though it is very difficult
to live with constant pain,
and we need medication
for it,
and there's nothing
wrong with that.
I want to imagine
living without any sense
of feeling,
without the nerve endings
that tell you
that something's red hot.
Well, here was a man
who was a leper.
He suffered from leprosy
and probably had some
of those issues
with regard to his own body.
And in the Bible,
as you know,
leprosy is mentioned
frequently,
but leprosy is also
mentioned in the Bible
symbolically.
It's not that God
actually inflicted people
with leprosy
just so that he could
use it as a symbol
of something,
but leprosy,
as it did exist,
as a disease,
having its own
characteristics,
the Bible uses it
or it was used
under God's direction
as a symbol
of the effects
of sin as well.
Because one of the things
you find with leprosy
and with leper
is that leper
was actually set away
from the main body
of the people
in order to actually
be in a place
by themselves,
a leper colony
as it used to be called.
Sometimes you might think,
well, that's pretty cruel.
You're sending people away
because they're suffering
from leprosy.
They're with others
who suffer from leprosy.
They're actually outside
of the social circles
of their own people.
And of course,
that is the case,
but it's a protective measure.
It was really a form
of quarantine
so as to protect
those who didn't
have leprosy
in case they themselves
contracted it
and began to suffer from it.
So in many ways,
it was an act
of quarantine
and of protection,
a protective measure
for the community.
In any case,
that meant
that the person
with leprosy
was kept at a distance
from the main body
of the people.
And as you find
in the Bible,
leprosy to be symbolical
of separation
from social interaction
and certainly separation
from God
in the sense
that leprosy
was a symbol of sin
and the effects of sin
and the wastage of sin.
All of these things
were built into it
as a symbol,
as something
which represented that.
And you'll find,
therefore,
that when you come
to the New Testament,
you've got a wonderful emphasis
in the likes of
Mark chapter 4,
chapter 1 and verse 40,
rather,
of Jesus doing something
which wasn't actually
allowed ceremonially.
The leper was unclean,
but Jesus touched
this leper
and cleansed him.
If you will,
said the man,
you can make me clean.
And Jesus touched him
and said,
I will.
Be clean.
Be healed.
And that, of course,
reminds us
that Jesus
is the great healer.
Here he is
dealing with
what represented
sin
and represented
being ostracized
and separated
from the community
and needing
to be rehabilitated.
And that's what
a Christian is.
It's somebody
who has been
dealt with by God
so that the sin
that is ours
naturally is dealt with
and dealt with successfully
and we're rehabilitated
into the company
and in the fellowship
of the people
of God
spiritually
and morally.
That's what God does.
That's what God
in saving his people
does.
That's what conversion,
that's what being
or becoming a Christian
in many ways
is about.
Well, here is a man
who,
for all his achievements,
for all his stature,
he suffered from leprosy.
And it just reminds us
as well,
doesn't it,
that for all the achievements
we may have
in this life,
for all the stature
that we may gain,
for all the social prominence
we may have,
we still need a healer.
We still need Christ.
We still need Jesus
to be our Savior.
none of these elements
in our ability,
in our social status
or anything else,
none of that is really
of any use
as far as giving us
a place in the favor
of God is concerned.
Only God can do that.
And God does that
when he brings us
to know himself
and brings us
into living fellowship
with Jesus Christ.
And it also reminds us,
doesn't it,
although obviously
leprosy was very obvious,
but nevertheless,
let's also not lose sight
of the fact that
many people
who may appear outwardly
to a very little
troubling their lives,
underneath that
may be a very serious concern
or issue for them.
We just never know
what's happening
in someone's life secretly.
There are many people
in our community.
There may be some people
in here today
who are carrying a burden,
carrying a weight,
carrying something
of a concern
that they're not able
to share with other people,
but they can bring it to God.
We have to be careful
in our relation with people.
Maybe they're people
who we regard as very grumpy
or very distant or whatever.
You just don't know
what's in that person's life
unless they tell you.
Well, here is Naaman,
commander of the king's army
in Syria.
But he was a leper.
And then he came across
this girl
who was a servant,
a slave.
You can see how she became
a slave to Naaman's wife.
The Syrians on one of the raids,
verse 2,
had carried off a little girl
from the land of Israel.
And she worked in the service
of Naaman's wife.
And she said to her mistress,
Would that my lord
were with the prophet
who is in Samaria.
He would cure him
of his leprosy.
So Naaman then went
and told the king
about this.
Now this is very interesting
that this unknown,
unnamed girl
actually fits into
such a central part
in the whole process
leading to Naaman's
cure of his leprosy.
And it reminds us,
doesn't it,
that whatever way
we come about
to be in a certain place
at any time,
there are no accidents
as far as God's placement
is concerned.
Here was a girl
who was actually brought
on one of the raids
of the Syrians,
carried off,
so that she could be
a slave in this
important man's house
for his wife.
But that's where
God had placed her.
God didn't approve
at all of the way
that she had actually
ended up there.
He didn't approve
of the raiding party.
He didn't give that
as his mark of approval.
But nevertheless,
this girl is placed
deliberately by God
and his providence
in this home
without which
they would not have heard
of the Elisha
who was the prophet
in Samaria.
And so it reminds us
that God's placement
of us is always precise,
always deliberate,
always purposeful.
Where are you today
in your place of work?
Who do you sit alongside?
Who do you work alongside?
Where are you
in terms of your neighborhood
or the street
in which you live?
Where are you
in terms of people
you interact with
on a daily basis perhaps
or on a regular basis?
Well, God in his providence
has placed you there
deliberately.
And he's placed you there
deliberately
for his own sake.
And especially today
if you are a Christian
witness to Jesus
and to some extent
we all are.
Otherwise,
why are we here?
Well, that's something
that God is saying.
That's why I've placed you
where I've placed you.
So that you can be
a testimony to me.
That you can tell about me.
that you can actually
do this
on an ongoing basis.
And it's important
of course too
for our young people.
They're in the Sunday school
and Bible class today.
Although some people
some of them
may be watching
of course online as well.
But there are relatively
young people here as well.
And as our young people
very often leave home
and go to work
on the mainland
or study on the mainland.
This is the kind of advice
we always try to give them.
Be true to Jesus.
Be true to the values
of God.
Be true wherever
you're placed.
Wherever God's providence
actually places you.
Be true to the things
you've learned
in your Sunday school.
In your Bible class.
In your church.
Under the preaching
of the word of God.
And that's what he's saying
to ourselves as well today.
Here was a little girl.
And she was true
to her faith.
She was true
to the religion
she belonged to
of the people of Israel.
Israel.
She spoke up
with concern
for this Naaman
who actually owned
her really
as the person
who was in charge
of that household.
But she spoke up
and said
if only my Lord
were with the prophet
who's in Samaria
he would cure him
of his leprosy.
So that's really
one of the great
great emphases
that we have
in our Christian life
isn't it?
We come across
different people
different days
different areas
especially those
we are with regularly.
This is the business
that we're in
as far as God is concerned.
Tell them about me
he's saying.
Tell them about
where there is a cure
for their sin.
Tell them
where there is
a person
who knows
their situation
where this saviour
is to be found
and what he can do
for them.
And so she spoke up
and even though
she's not named
that's not important.
You may never be famous.
We may never have
prominence in society.
We may never leave
a legacy
that will be thought about
for many generations
to come.
That doesn't really matter.
What really matters
is that for the time
that you and I
have in this world
and for the time
that God enables us
and leaves us
with our abilities
mentally and physically
we are there for him.
we are there
to be his representatives
to be his people
to be his witnesses
to be his church.
It doesn't matter
how old we are
it doesn't matter
how young we may be
wherever God
has placed us
we are there
for him
and for his sake.
So here's the servant girl
the slave girl
and we come now
to the godly prophet.
verses 4 to 8
actually tell us
of how things developed.
Naaman went into
his own king
his own master
told him about
what this girl had said
so the king of Syria said
well you go
and I'll send a letter
to the king of Israel
so he did so.
And of course
Naaman took with him
a whole lot of stuff
that he was going to give
to Elisha
this was his
going to be
Elisha's reward
for what he was going
to do for him.
He took all of these things
that are mentioned there
the money
the changes of clothes
and he took the letter
as well
from the king of Syria
to commend Naaman
to the king of Israel
and when the king of Israel
read the letter
he was furious
he tore his clothes
and he said
am I God
to kill
and to make alive
that this man
sends word to me
to cure a man
of his leprosy
only consider and see
how he's seeking
a quarrel with me
that's all the king of
the king of Israel
made of it
and of course
he was quite wrong.
that's why
Elisha actually
scolded him
when he heard about this
when he heard
that he had torn
his clothes
that he had done
this dramatic
thing
why have you done this?
let him come now
to me
that he may know
that there is
a prophet in Israel
in other words
Elisha was saying
to his king
to the king of Israel
what on earth
are you thinking about?
do you think
there is no God
in this place?
do you think
God cannot cure this man?
there is a man
who is king
and he's just lost
his way
he's lost his way
spiritually
he should
immediately have said
of course
Elisha
the man of God
I'll send you
I'll introduce you
to him
and he'll be able
to help you
and here is this man
this king of Israel
that's not what's
on his mind
he's looking after himself
and his own interests
and he has it
in his mind
the only reason
that this name
has come from
the king of Syria
is to actually
be a plant
in order to spy out
in order to actually
seek a quarrel
an excuse for war
well how wrong
we can be
how wrong
our political leaders
can be as well
and how wrong
we can be ourselves
in our conclusions
about things
so that's how he came
to meet Elisha
and so
in verse 9
Naaman came
with his horses
and chariots
and stood
at the door
of Elisha's house
and Elisha sent
a messenger to him
saying go
and wash in the Jordan
seven times
and your flesh
shall be restored
now if you look
carefully at the wording
there
it's very deliberately
worded
and it's really interesting
how the detail
is given to us
Naaman came
with his horses
and chariots
and stood
at the door
of Elisha
there is this
great man
this famous
field marshal
in Syria
and there he is
with all his retinue
with his grand
accompaniment
and there he's coming
to Elisha
the prophet of God
in Israel
and he stands
at Elisha's door
he doesn't dismount
from his chariot
he's expecting
that this man
Elisha will come out
and have an audience
with him
all he's got to do
is stand there
and show his importance
surely Elisha
is going to recognize
this is a really
important man
I'd better go out
and talk with him
Naaman
doesn't do
any such thing
just leaves him
standing there
and he sends
a messenger
instead
and the messenger
says go and
wash in the Jordan
seven times
and
as Elisha's
message is
given to Naaman
he becomes
absolutely
furious
he goes away
in fact
in a rage
as you read
later on
in the passage
in verse 12
why is he so angry
why would a person
be so
enraged
about a message
that was to do
with the healing
of his leprosy
what could cause
such a reaction
well two things
two very closely
related things
Naaman
had come
to Elisha
with his own
plan
with his own
idea of how
he was going
to be cured
of his leprosy
see what he's
saying here
verse 11
Naaman was angry
and went away
saying
behold
I thought
that he would
surely come out
and stand
and call upon
the name of the Lord
and wave his hand
over the place
and cure the leprosy
there was
the Naaman's
own
idea
of what was
necessary
to cure him
from his leprosy
and it's all
built into
these two words
I thought
behold
I thought
that's your problem
and that's my problem
when it comes to
our dealing
with our sin
our relationship
with God
how is it
we think
naturally
just like Naaman
I thought
it's our own thoughts
we want to focus on
it's our own thoughts
we want to stand on
we have our own plan
as to how our life
should develop
human lives
sinful lives
have their own idea
as how things
can be put right
behold
I thought
you go to the New Testament
and you'll find
the same thing
many times
just go to Saul
of Tarsus
who became
the Apostle Paul
and these words
would fit
very much
into his own testimony
as you find it
in the likes
of Philippians 3
which we looked at
not so long ago
and there was
this man
this very able man
this teacher
in Israel
Saul of Tarsus
Pharisee
skilled in the Old Testament
knew his Bible
and he had his own idea
of how he was right
with God
when many others
were wrong
his own ability
his own
keeping of the law
his own obedience
to God
as he saw it
that's what really
gave him
in God's sight
gave him
the kudos
gave him
the acceptance
gave him
undoubtedly
the favor of God
as far as he was concerned
until Jesus
met him
on the way
to Damascus
and his plan
crumbled
God
crushed his plan
he smashed it up
because it was
completely wrong
and Paul
would have said
behold
I thought
this was the way
I was convinced
this was the way
I was convinced
I was in the right
but God
had other ideas
and Jesus
soon destroyed
Saul's own plan
and Saul's own
view of salvation
not only did
Naaman
though come
with his own plan
he also came
in his pride
and the two things
very often go together
don't they
almost inevitably
go together
our own plan
as to how we come
to be saved
and our pride
in standing on
that plan
and on that idea
but you see
what he's saying
he was told
go and wash in the Jordan
seven times
what does he say
are not
Abana
and Farfar
the rivers of Damascus
better than all
the waters of Israel
could I not
wash in them
and be clean
so he turned
and went away
in a rage
you see what he's saying
well Abana
and Farfar
apparently were
very clear waters
beautiful rivers
whereas the Jordan
very often brown
and dirty brown
carrying a lot of soil
here is this man saying
I'm not going to wash
in the Jordan
I've got Farfar
I've got Abana
back home
and they're better
than all the waters
of Israel
can I not wash
in them
and be cleaned
you see his pride
and his plan
go together
and it's his pride
for this moment
that just will not
accept
that the word
that God
has sent him
through the prophet
is actually superior
to any of his own
plans
yes the waters
of the Jordan
may be dirty brown
compared
to the rivers
of Damascus
but that's where
God is saying
that's where
you'll be cured
and you know
that's so often
the case isn't it
with the presentation
of the gospel
and the message
of the gospel
about Jesus Christ
I thought
we say in relation
to that
I thought
that my own work
would be enough
that my own ability
would see me through
and aren't there
just so many
other ways
along with the way
that the Bible
talks about
when it speaks
about putting
your trust
in Jesus
and having Jesus
exclusively
as your savior
are there not
all these other ways
are they not
just as good
are not these
other religions
just as good
is secularism
not just as good
well God is saying
you believe
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
and you shall
be saved
that's God's way
that's so often
what Paul is emphasizing
in the likes
of his letter
to the Corinthians
for example
as he talks there
about
to the Corinthians
about
the wisdom
of God
as against
the wisdom
of human beings
the wisdom
of men
and here he is
saying that
the Jews
seek after
wisdom
so do the Greeks
they are all
after wisdom
the way of wisdom
the way
of acceptance
with God
but we preach
Christ crucified
stumbling block
to the Jews
and foolishness
to the Greeks
a man who was
crucified
on a cross
at Calvary
rose from the dead
three days later
ascended to heaven
that's the record
of the gospel
and yet our hearts
unless God
changes us
will say
no I can't
accept that
that just
can't be right
I prefer
my own way
I thought
it should be
this way
let me ask
this question
do you have
a plan
today
and a pride
that's keeping
you from peace
with God
is your own
plan
and your own
pride
keeping you
from peace
with God
from coming
to know
the way
of salvation
as God
sets it out
for us
have you
discarded
your own
view
have I
discarded
my own
view
as I am
as a sinner
fallen
into sin
and with my
own ideas
of how I
should be
living my
life
and be
right with
God
have you
have I
discarded
that
and taken
up instead
God's plan
in Christ
because that's
really
that's really
the essence
of the issue
isn't it
just as Naaman
so Naaman
teaches us
we need to
discard our own
view and our
own plan
and certainly
our own
pride
and fall
in with
God's plan
and God's
provision
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
verse 13
his servants
came and said
to him
my Lord
my father
it is a
great word
the prophet
has spoken
to you
will you
not do
it
has he
actually
said
do you
wash
and be
clean
you see
what comes
across from
that is
the sheer
simplicity
of God's
plan
the simplicity
of what he's
being told
as against
what he himself
might have
thought
that's how it is
with our salvation
as well
because God's
method
is the simple
method
we come to
believe in Christ
we come to
give ourselves
to Jesus
we come to
trust in him
we come to
accept him
as he is
as he's offered
in the Bible
and that's
what God
is saying
you do
that
and you'll
be saved
but we
invent the
complexities
we invent
things that
really
complicate
the matter
don't we
we want
to find out
more about
this faith
and what
this faith
is
well that's
alright
once you're
in Christ
but don't
actually try
and complicate
things
in a way
that keeps
you from
coming to
Christ
because very
often
the things
that we
persuade
ourselves
of
and want
to work
through
and say
we can't
understand
very often
they're just
invented
by us
for the
sake of
avoiding
obedience
to Christ
and obedience
to Christ
is very
simply
capitulating
to him
yielding
our minds
our lives
to be ruled
by him
that's
God's
way
and today
if you've
not yet
come
at least
to make
it known
that you
are a
Christian
that you
want
to
serve
the
Lord
I
know
that
there
are
some
of
you
here
who
give
every
indication
in your
life
that
you're
serious
about
this
spiritual
business
who give
lots of
indications
that
this is
really
where you'd
want to be
your life
to be
anchored
in
Christ
and going
on
serving
him
don't
be
deflected
from
that
don't
actually
be
persuaded
by someone
who says
it's not
that
simple
it is
that
simple
you trust
in the
saviour
you come
into the
possession
of salvation
what could
be more
clear and
simple than
that
don't complicate
things
in a way
that prevents
you coming
to give
your life
over to
Jesus
and
here is
Naaman
having
heard
the
seven
advice
so he
went
down
and
dipped
himself
seven
times
in the
Jordan
according
to the
word
of the
man
of
God
his
flesh
was
restored
like
the
flesh
of
a
little
child
and
he
was
clean
he
did
exactly
as
God
required
of
him
as
the
message
from
God
through
the
prophet
set
before
him
you see
God's
way
always
works
and
I'm
sure
he
might
have
said
to
himself
well
why
didn't
I
do
this
in
the
first
place
why
did
I
give
myself
all
that
hassle
of
anger
and
frustration
and
thinking
that
my
way
was
best
I
should
have
done
as
just
accepted
his
word
to
begin
with
and
I
could
have
saved
myself
all
that
hassle
well
of
course
but
isn't
that
what
life
is
like
and
there
are
many
people
who
come
to
the
Lord
after
a
struggle
after
trying
to
work
through
the
complications
that
they
make
for
themselves
and
at
the
end
of
the
day
they'll
say
well
why
didn't
I
just
do
it
all
that
time
ago
I
should
have
done
it
then
and
maybe
you're
here
today
maybe
you've
been
just
struggling
your way
through
complications
that
you're
making
for
yourself
coming
to
God
and
coming
to
know
Christ
as
your
saviour
is
concerned
put
the
complications
aside
take
Jesus
at
his
word
look
to
him
and
the
truth
of
his
word
do
what
Naaman
did
accept
it
as
it
is
and
you'll
find
that
actually
works
perfectly
believe
in the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and
you
will
be
saved
it's
not
going
to
take
away
all
the
hassles
of
your
life
it
won't
take
away
all
the
difficulties
it
doesn't
mean
that
the
problems
will
just
drift
out
of
your
life
and
from
then
all
will
be
just
like
a
constant
summer's
day
you know
that's
not
the
case
you
know
the
devil
will
persuade
you
many
ways
or try
to
persuade
you
actually
it's
not
in
your
gain
it's
not
to
your
advantage
to
but it
is
there's
no
sign
now
of
the
leprosy
as far
as
Naaman
is
concerned
notice
what it
says
there
his
flesh
was
restored
like
the
flesh
of
a
little
child
a
marvelous
description
if you
look at
a baby
child
with
that
fresh
skin
with
that
beautiful
look
that's
what
Naaman's
skin
was like
after he
did what
God
required
of him
and
that's
what
God
will do
for
us
too
that's
exactly
how it
will be
when we
give
ourselves
to
God
when we
trust
in
Christ
when we
accept
his
way
of
salvation
in
Jesus
life
comes
to be
renewed
remember
how it
is in
the book
of
Proverbs
and in
this
passage
that I'm
going to
read
it has
a
reference
to
not
leaning
on
our
own
understanding
go back
to
Naaman's
own
plan
Naaman's
pride
also says
be not
wise
in your
own
eyes
here's
the
passage
Proverbs
3
verses
5
to
8
we'll
close
with
that
trust
in
the
Lord
with
all
your
heart
and
do
not
lean
on
your
own
understanding
in
all
your
ways
acknowledge
him
and
he
will
make
straight
your
paths
be
not
wise
in
your
own
eyes
fear
the
Lord
turn
away
from
evil
it
will
be
healing
to
your
flesh
and
refreshment
to
your
bones
may God
bless
this word
to us
let's pray
Lord
our
God
we
thank
you
today
that
your
gospel
sets
before
us
the
way
of
salvation
so
clearly
Lord
we
know
that
there
are
many
things
in
your
word
that
we
cannot
fully
understand
that
there
are
many
things
we
need
to
work
through
in
terms
of
increasing
our
knowledge
of
yourself
of
salvation
and
of
ourselves
but
we
thank
you
that
way
of
salvation
is
so
clearly
marked
out
for
us
to
us
Lord
help
us
today
to
do
this
and
help
us
by
your
grace
to
discard
the
many
reasonings
that
we
find
arising
in
our
own
sinful
hearts
and
the
many
ways
in
which
the
devil
tempts
us
away
from
trusting
in
you
grant
that
we
may
come
Lord
to
depend
upon
your
word
and
that
we
may
come
and
cast
ourselves
into
your
care
hear
us
then
we
pray
and
be
with
us
this
evening
and
be
with
Scott
as
he
leads
the
worship
this
evening
grant
him
your
grace
Lord
we
pray
and
all
of
these
things
we
seek
with
the
pardon
of
our
sin
for
Jesus
sake
Amen
we'll
sing
now in
conclusion
this
time in
Psalm 51
that's
in the
Scottish
Psalter
version
it's
on page
281
we're
singing to
the tune
Walsall
and it's
verses
6 to
10
behold thou
in the
inward
parts
with
truth
delighted
art
and
wisdom
thou
shalt
make
me
know
within
the
hidden
part
to
thou
with
hyssop
sprinkle
me
I
shall
be
cleansed
so
yea
wash
thou
me
and
then
I
shall
be
whiter
than
the
snow
of
gladness
and
of
joyfulness
make
me
to
hear
the
voice
that
so
these
very
bones
which
thou
hast
broken
may
rejoice
all
my
iniquities
blot
out
sin
create
a
clean
heart
Lord
renew
a
right
spirit
me
within
these
verses
6
to
10
to
God's
praise
behold
thou
in
the
inward
parts
with
truth
delighted
art
and
with
song
thy
child
make
me
know
within
the
hidden
heart
to
thy
with
his
thoughts
make
help
me
I
shall
be
cleansed
soul
yea
wash
thou
me
and
then
I
shall
be
whiter
than
the
snow
of
gladness
and
of
joy
fullness
make
me
to
hear
the
voice
that
soul
these
very
bones
which
thou
hast
broken
may
rejoice
joy
all
my
name
may
quet
he's
brought
out
life
aside
from
myself
create
a
king
heart
lord
bring
you
and
my
spirit
me
within
I'll go
to the
door just
to my
right here
after the
benediction
now may
the grace
of the
lord
jesus
christ
the love
of god
the father
and the
communion
of the
holy
spirit
be with
you now
and ever
more
amen
oh
you